Farmers protest in New Delhi, India
Protests nonviolent and violent alike have erupted in India’s capital in New Delhi. For the past few months, farmers, and other agricultural workers, have flooded the streets of New Delhi seeking to repeal Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new farming laws. Thousands of protestors have engaged in escalating demonstrations that are representing more than 60% of India’s population that rely on agriculture for their livelihood. Despite only accounting for less than 15% of the countries economic output, the agricultural industry is heavily depended on, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic that sent workers in cities back to farming villages. Modi’s new farming laws minimalize the government’s involvement in agriculture and allow the introduction of private investors. Farmers all over the country fear that the government taking back their support will be detrimental to their livelihoods.
The new laws, Pros and Cons:
Narendra Modi’s new farming and agriculture laws are aiming to liberalize India’s economy by lessening the government's involvement and support in the agricultural industry. The government believes the pre-existing laws are no longer sustainable if they want to continue growing their economy. The support the government would provide farmers such as minimum price guarantees for essential crops and laws that protect farmers from the free markets are going to be loosened and turned over to private companies.
Pro-reform economists are largely encouraging these new laws as they believe they will attract new technology and investment, raise farm incomes, and increase productivity in crop yield. The government justifies that this will serve to unshackle farmers from a level of government control. The parliament also claimed that they will not be withdrawing the mandi system or the Minimum Support Price (MSP). These systems are what guaranteed that any product grown by farmers, that meet a certain level of quality, that are presented to the shops of a commission agent, regulated by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee, will be bought by the government at the MSP or higher.
On paper, these new laws seem like a major benefit to farmers and India’s economy as a whole. However, the insecurity comes from the lack of evidence that in practicality, it will work. Farmers contend that the loosening of government support would leave them to the mercy of large private companies. For now, the mandi system ensures a level of security of prices but protest leaders and opposition parties are skeptical that they will continue for long. Without the absolute insurance that they can continue to sell to a government wholesale market, farmers fear that they will have to submit to the set prices that private companies impose on them. If the farmers do not agree to the price set by these companies, they will have few other options to ensure prices. Small farmers in the country are already struggling with the government support that has been provided and are worried that private investors will aim to dominate the markets and take away their land.
What the protest look like:
Farmers all over the country were committed to peaceful protest. Sit-ins, crowding and marching, and simply camping on the edge of New Dehli to show resistance to the new policies. They established settlements outside of the city so they could protest for days on end. They were insistent to create change and protested for months. Their civil unrest would soon escalate.
In February this year, the protest had seen its largest escalation in violence. Angry farmers who were impatient from months of peaceful protest marched and swarmed through the streets of the capital. With large crowds and tractors, they toppled over barricades and got into conflicts with the guard sent by Modi to resist them. Tear gas and tractor smoke filled the air in a stalemate for days. During the midst of the protest, Modi and the rest of the country were still celebrating a national holiday. The prime minister watched parades and festivals while enabling his police guard to fend off thousands of farmers on the other side of the city.
What next?
The government has come to the agreement to put the new laws on hold to gather a better procedure. Protest leaders and farmers all over the country are discontent with this outcome. In February, during the midst of the escalating protests, the governments decision to slow down the process of enacting these laws angered protestors as they are fighting for their absolute repeal. Marches and sit-ins ensue as the government continues to work around these laws. Many farmers around the country are relying on the resistance in the capital to protect their best interest. Pro-change economist and supporting party politicians are calling for the protest to end and believe the new bills will be beneficial for the country. The bill will continue to be evalutated while protest leaders demand a repeal and say they will not stop until it happens. The country is in a stalemate while farmers continue to struggle during this economic drought.
